Excerpt: “Despite challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing conflicts and crises disrupting education, U.S. government programs increased the number of learners who attain minimum proficiency in reading in 15 countries during and after the pandemic emergency. Programs implemented over the course of the 2019–2023 U.S. Government Strategy on International Basic Education reached more than 34 million learners annually. In total over the five years, U.S. government programs trained 2.9 million teachers and educators, supplied 176 million textbooks and other teaching and learning materials, and worked to strengthen systems, including by adopting 525 new or reformed laws and policies. In addition, the U.S. government provided an average of 3.4 million children and youth with school meal services annually, recognizing that children must be healthy when they enter school, so they are ready to learn.”